A History of Whitby and Streoneshalh Abbey : With a Statistical Survey of the Vicinity to the Distance of Twenty-Five Miles, Volume 2

Maker Rev. George Young

Date1817

Object number00003614

NameBook

MediumInk on paper, boards

DimensionsOverall: 36 x 228 x 150 mm, 0.7 kg
Display Dimensions: 237 x 37 x 140 mm

ClassificationsBooks and journals

Credit LineANMM Collection

Terms

DescriptionBook by the Reverend George Young titled "A History of Whitby and Streoneshalh Abbey : With a Statistical Survey of the Vicinity to the Distance of Twenty-five Miles, Volume 2". Written with the assistance of some papers, left by the late R. W. Winter, and some materials furnished by Mr J. Bird. Printed and sold by Clark and Mead. First edition. Six Plates. Folding table and extra-engraved plates. Hardback, cardboard cover. 470 Pages.HistoryGeorge Young was a Presbyterian minister who had previously studied philosophy at university and held a passion for geology. He began his ministry in Whitby in 1806 at the Cliff Lane Chapel in Whitby in January, a position he would hold for 42 years. He was a well-admired minister and gifted orator and many of his sermons and lectures were published for a wider audience. Reverend Young also published books and papers on botany, local history, geology and became a founder of the Whitby Museum, Whitby Botanical Garden and the Whitby Literary and Philosophical Society. An outcome of his combined passion of theology and geography was his work “Scriptural Geology” in 1838 in which he attempted to reconcile his geology and fossil discoveries with the teachings of the bible. One of Reverend Young's most well known works is his biography of Whitby resident Captain James Cook. In 1836, Young published his account of Cook's life, in "a neat pocket volume", particularly with the aim for "uplifting seaman". He talked with residents of Whitby who had known Cook including his family, friends, and some who had gone to school with him. SignificanceAlthough George Young was an ordained reverend, he had diverse interests including geology, philosophy and his biography of Captain James Cook in 1836 was deemed particularly relevant as it was based on information sourced from people who had known Cook personally and lived in Staithes and Whitby at the time.